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A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold is as pictures of silver.(Prov.25:11) It is so important to speak the right words to people at the right time to produce the right results. When you think of apples of gold in pictures of silver, then you are thinking of wealth and excellence. When we speak wisdom into the lives of others we are making them wealthy. Therefore we must seek God for He is the source of all wisdom and He will give us just the right words needed at the right time.

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#Then said He unto the disciples, it is impossible but that offenses will come but woe unto him, through whom they come! It was better for him that a millstone was hanged about his neck and he cast into the sea than that he should offend one of these little ones. Luke 17:1,2

Jesus is warning the disciples about offending little children, for it was better than a millstone was placed on his neck and he cast into the ocean than to offend a child. This is a very stern judgment to think about for our God loves little children, for such is the kingdom of God. We must do all we can to protect them from the filth on the Internet. The filters sometimes do not work and they are exposed to pornography. Shame on those who promote this filth and expose little children to it. Hellfire cannot be hot enough for those who will be judged for doing this that is why Jesus told the illustration about the millstone. Bless the little children of the world do not harm them.

#Whosoever putteth away his wife and marries another committeth adultery. And whosoever marries her that is put away from her husband commits adultery. Luke 16:18

Yes, marriage is difficult and today it is no different than it was in Jesus day when He told this story. In the Garden of Eden is where it all started when the woman sinned the curse was her desire would be to her husband, but he would rule over her. A woman does not want to be ruled over and this is much of the conflict in marriage. She wants a lot of passion in the marriage and the husband cannot fulfill her desire so she goes outside of the marriage. Men commit adultery as much as women, but women hide it better than men do. How do we overcome this strong desire that comes in marriage to be with another mate? Well, we have to be well grounded in the Word of God and allow the Holy Spirit to control us. We must not grieve the Holy Spirit whereby we are sealed unto the day of redemption. Separation is better than divorce, for it gives the husband and wife space to work out their problems in the marriage. Children can be a blessing to the marriage for it takes time away from the concerns about the marriage to what is important to raising the children. Plus children want to see their parents get along in the marriage which is a good thing and this can help to strengthen the bond in the marriage. Jesus told this story before He told the story about the rich man who died and went to hell and the poor man Lazarus who died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's Bosom which is heaven. This is the place we will go if we accept Jesus as our Personal Lord and Savior who will forgive us of all our sins. We have to repent of our sins before we die, as the rich man did not repent and he died, thus he was doomed to hellfire and damnation. He wanted father Abraham to go to his brothers to warn them lest they too would go to such a place. Marriage is the struggle that causes many to go to hell, for they cannot get over the temptations and stray into adultery. That is why Jesus told this story to warn us less we too would make the same mistake that so many others have made in their marriage. Hosea was married to Gomer who was a harlot and God told him to marry her so that he would know what the nation Israel was doing to Jehovah God by playing the harlot too. Gomer was put out of the house for her many adulteries and after all of her lovers forsook her Hosea took her back in as a wife and she became a devoted wife. So forgiveness is the key to marriage to overcoming divorce as God hates divorce and loves it when the couple can forgive one another to keep the marriage strong. This is the struggle that we have to keep our marriage bed holy. For God will judge all adulterers and if they do not repent they too shall end up in hellfire like the rich man in this story. If you are in this problem in your marriage today just pray to God to give you the strength to overcome the temptations in your marriage and be faithful to your spouse as Gomer learned how to do. It is possible to forgive after adultery has taken place in the marriage, but there must be true repentance. As Jesus told the woman caught in adultery to go and sin no more. She obeyed and will be saved from hellfire. The road to hell is paved with good intentions as people do not intend to go there they just don't want to turn to the strait and narrow path to go to life after death in heaven. There will be many who will say Lord Lord we have done many things in thy name and He will say depart from me ye that work lawlessness, I never knew you. What a tragedy for the Lord to say depart from me I never knew you. I pray that you will not hear those words and that you will get off the broad road that leads to destruction. Jesus is standing at the door and knocking for you to open the door of your heart to let Him in. Do it today and you can have eternal life with the Father in heaven.

#And I say unto you, make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful in also much and he that is unjust in the least is unjust in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? Luke 16:9-11

Jesus tells this story of the steward who was faithful in the unrighteous mammon as a sign that the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. We must learn how to manage the unrighteous wealth of this world for our Heavenly Father to trust us with the true riches of the heavenly kingdom. For the principle is he that is faithful in little will be faithful in much. So despise not the day of small things for our Heavenly Father is just preparing us for something much greater in the kingdom of God. Learn from the wise steward who used the unrighteous mammon of his master wisely. For our Heavenly Father is giving us the opportunity to be faithful to the true riches of the kingdom, so use them wisely.

#And He said a certain man had two sons and the younger of them said father, father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me, and he divided unto him his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country and there wasted his substance on riotus living. And when he spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into the fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat and no man gave unto him. And when He came to himself, he said how many hired servants of my father's have bread enough to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him father I have sinned against heaven and before thee. And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, bring forth the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet; And bring hither the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and be merry: For this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. And they began to be merry. Luke 15:11-24

Jesus told this parable because this is a picture of our Heavenly Father who has given us an inheritance and we have wasted it with riotus living. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. When the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin after we have landed on the pig pen of life, we confess our sin before God, who is Holy and just and forgives us of all. There is joy in heaven as the Father puts a robe of righteousness on us and a ring on our finger. But there is the elder brother who said I have been hearing lo all these years and you have never slain the fatted calf for me? Anyone who is self-righteous and cannot see his sin is like unto the elder brother who was angry at the feast for his younger prodigal brother. We have to pray for God to forgive us of the sin of self-righteousness, for we too are standing in the need of prayer. May God have mercy on all of us for we have been prodigal sons and daughters who need mercy and forgiveness. Let us not be bitter when the Heavenly Father restores another prodigal son or daughter. Instead, let us see ourselves in that situation and give thanks unto God and rejoice with all the angels of God in heaven at the sinner that was lost and is found, that was dead and is alive. This is the attitude that we must have as children of the highest God.

#Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she loses one piece, doth not light a candle and sweep the house and seek diligently till she finds it. And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together saying rejoice with me, for I have found the piece that was lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.Luke 15:8-10

Jesus uses this woman to illustrate the persistence of God in finding the one lost sinner, as the woman swept the whole house until she found the lost silver of hers. There will be great joy in heaven as the angels of God rejoice over the one sinner who repents of his sin, This reminds us when we were lost in sin and God did not give up on us but the Holy Spirit chasened us until we repented. This is a great lesson to be patient with other people who have gone astray and pray for them to repent. May the Lord give us that patience to wait on God to do a work in their lives. As God is not willing to any would perish, but that all men will come to repentance.

#What man of you having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness and go after that which is lost until he finds it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them rejoice with me: for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise, joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repented, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Luke 15:4-7

Jesus tells this parable of the lost sheep because the Pharisees were complaining of the publicans and sinners that were eating with Jesus, for they knew that they were lost sinners and needed to repent. Yet the Pharisees did not see their sin and were like unto the ninety-nine just persons which need no repentance. There is joy in heaven over one of the publican and sinners who saw they needed to repent. We must not look down at a sinner who repents but should rejoice as all heaven does when one sinner repents as the shepherd rejoices over the one lost sheep that has been found to the flock.

#And the Lord said unto the servant, go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled, for I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper. Luke 14:23,24

Jesus bid men come to His great supper, but all of them began to make excuses. All excuses before a holy God are excused from acceptance. We have been commanded to go into the highways and the hedges to compel them to come to His supper. The Word of God is what we are to broadcast over the highways and the hedges. And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after Jesus, cannot be His disciple. So my brothers and sisters do not think that you do not have a voice to use for the Lord, for you do. So use it to the glory of God and there will be room at the great supper of our God.

#And He said unto them, go ye and tell that fox, behold I cast out devils and I do cures, today and tomorrow and the third day I shall be perfected. Nevertheless, I must walk today and tomorrow and the day following for it cannot be that a prophet perishes out of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed, is He that comes in the name of the Lord. Luke 13:32-35

Jesus is calling the Pharisees a fox and that He casts out devils, and though He will be killed He will rise again the third day. Then He tells them that He must continue for there shall not perish a prophet out of Jerusalem. Then Jesus weeps over Jerusalem by telling them how often I would have gathered thee, as a hen gathers her chicks, but ye would not behold your house shall be left unto you desolate. This is in the synoptic gospels and He tells them ye shall not see me again until ye shall say blessed is He that comes in the name of the Lord. What a time to be alive, for we are seeing the days that Jesus told would come on earth before His coming into the kingdom. Let us remain faithful to the Lord by entering in at the strait gate, for narrow is the way that leads to life and few there be that find it. For broad is the road that leads to destruction and many there be on that path. But He shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out. The Pharisees became very angry at Jesus for saying these things.

#Then He said, unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and cast into his garden and it grew and waxed a great tree and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. And again He said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like Leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. Luke 13:18-21

Jesus tells two parables about the kingdom of God and what it is like unto. First, it is like unto a mustard seed which is the smallest of seeds but then grows into the largest of trees. So the kingdom of God will start small but it will grow into the greatest of all kingdoms. Second, it is like a woman who took a lump of leaven which she hid in three measures of a meal because it is small until it grows once it is leavened. So the kingdom of God will appear hid, but it will grow out of nowhere into the greatest of all Kingdoms. So it is we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken but will grow into the greatest of all kingdoms. Thus we should be faithful to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of God to all.

#There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay, but except ye repent, ye shall likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay, but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke 13:1-5

Jesus is teaching the disciples the importance of repentance and no amount of sin is what brings the wrath of God on sinners. Everyone must repent being saved, for all have sinned and falls short of the glory of God. We should never think that we are better than certain people because we did not commit the type of sin that they committed. All must repent, for God is not a respecter of persons. May we learn from this story how God views sin and not think that white lies are not as serious as pathological liars. Sin is sin and must be repented of to be forgiven. God does not judge as man does, but is just in all that He does. Thank God for the cross, for that is the cost of our sin to be forgiven.